


what if we were demigods

by pettigrace



Category: DC Animated Universe, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Awkwardness, First Meetings, Flash is not a member of the Justice League, Funny, Gen, M/M, Oblivious, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 18:06:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8170922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pettigrace/pseuds/pettigrace
Summary: Barry runs into a fan of the Flash on the streets of Coast City. And has to defend Green Lantern.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from Fall Out Boy's "Demigods".
> 
> I have barely any knowledge of Hal Jordan except for a few Justice League comics and the old crossovers from The Brave & The Bold ((and the movie starring Ryan Reynolds)) so bare with me. Also, I usually write Barry in the way he’s portrayed on the TV show of 2014, so he may be OOC, too.

Barry, like at least ten other people around him, has stopped walking as the TVs inside the next display window have started shouting yet another story about how great Green Lantern is. Not only the loud sound of the news anchor’s voice has made him come closer to look, but the idea of getting to know where the hero may be at this point is thrilling. 

He hasn't wanted to leave Central City per se, in the aspect of an attack happening in his absence, but he's figured that Kid Flash could handle the Rogues and even if not - he'd be there within a few minutes. So now he's in the home city of Green Lantern to attend a weekend of advanced training and actually gets to see him in action on his very first day there. Or at least he'd thought so. 

While the anchorwoman keeps talking about how great GL is, the video footage played in the background is an old one. Barry’s seen it already a week ago on Central City’s news channel. 

“Man, what a tool.”, the guy next to him breathes as GL produces a big fish to punch King Shark in the face. 

Barry  _ knows _ that the attack hasn't been effective, seeing as he's seen already how it's only made the hybrid angrier. But still, you gotta start small. 

“I don't know, I mean, he has to try out a couple of things, doesn’t he?”, he offers to the guy next to him. 

He turns his eyes to him for a second to get a glance at whom he's even talking to - the guy looks about his age and wears a brown undercut. He's  _ laughing _ at the TV when the shark throws GL into the water. 

“Sure, but shouldn't he know that  _ punching _ a shark will not really help?”, the guy shrugs. “There's probably a reason why Batman always seems to be shouting at him when you see footage of the Justice League.”

Barry knows what he’s referring to - of course he does. There’s rarely any report about the superhero team you can see where the Knight of Gotham is not looking like he’s about to kill GL. But Barry guesses Batman is a grumpy person by nature, or else he wouldn’t wear black all the time.

“Well, at least he  _ got _ into the Justice League.”, Barry sighs, considering that he hasn’t even been approached by any member of the group. “In contrast to, I don’t know, the Flash for example.”

At that, the guy just turns around to him, completely ignoring the TV and people around them. “Woah, what? Are you shitting on the  _ Flash _ ?”

“I, uh--”, Barry starts but he doesn’t get far.

“You know what Central City would be without the Flash? It would be the next Gotham. Like, drug dealers everywhere, Mafia openly fucking up shit and whatnot. Probably have its own Joker, too. That’s something Batman can’t properly deal with.”, the guy rages, “See, I was in Central last month and it was really beautiful, you know? And the only people fucking up shit are such jokes themselves that Flash manages to arrest them  _ and _ build a new orphanage and some shit. Like, he’s not just there for the  _ villains _ , but for the  _ people _ .”

“Oh yeah? And what about Green Lantern? He’s got some alien powers but it’s not like he just  _ happens _ to have them like Superman but he was  _ chosen _ . So he needs to be good for something,  _ right _ ? So you better think about that next time you insult that guy.”, Barry replies. “You can’t tell me that Flash’s superpowers haven’t been an accident.”

“But he  _ has  _ them and uses them beyond just fucking around.”, the guy says and  _ actually _ crosses his arms in front of his chest as he pouts.

“Yeah, and GL doesn’t or what?”

At that the guy snorts. “You’re not from here, are you?”

“Uh, no.”, Barry says, scratching the back of his hand, “I’m from Central, actually.”

“Oh really?”, the man replies, “So what, you want to move here to be closer to the man of your dreams?”

The glance he throws him while saying those words - a fake-sounding overly excited voice accompanied by rapid blinking - makes Barry actually chuckle. “No, I’m here for advanced training. I work for the CCPD. Barry Allen, hi.”

In response, the guy smiles and hold out a hand, “Hal Jordan. Pilot at Ferris Air.”

 

-

 

Maybe Barry has been biased because this Hal guy likes the  _ Flash _ but he’s actually enjoying the other’s company. Hal still hasn’t been happy about their fighting about which hero is better (which is a very weird situation for him to be in, really), so they’ve retreated into the next coffee shop to discuss it further.

Hal informs him that he’s never actually met the Flash (despite hoping so whenever he happens to be in Central) but still, he keeps finding the right words to make Barry feel a blush creep up his neck and feel better about all the worries his heroisms have caused inside of him.

It’s one thing to hear someone you’ve just saved talk about you in sucha  way. It’s another thing to have the city you’re protecting give you its key. It’s an entirely different thing to run into someone who’s never even been close to you and have him defend you in front of strangers.

It’s flattering, really.

And, as it turns out, Hal is not even completely anti Green Lantern. He’s open to hear Barry’s opinions and doesn’t just put them off. Barry tells him how it must be the coolest power of all times to be able to just produce  _ anything _ whereas Hal is just going on and on about being  _ able to run on water _ .

Soon enough, though, their conversation switches its tone and becomes more personal, in a twisted way. Hal wants to know if Barry’s ever  _ met _ the Flash while he says that he’s never even met GL (Barry says yes because he’d feel bad lying). 

“So… you’ve met him at work?”

“Not exactly.”, Barry says slowly, “I’m, uh, a forensic scientist, so usually the action’s over already when I stop by. I don’t think Flash would stay as long, do you?”

Hal shakes his head. “So how’d you meet him then?”

And now Barry has to come up with a very credible but not too awesome story because Hal would start  _ fanboying _ so hard, judging by the wide eyes he’s fixed on him. He starts grinning excitedly anyway, so Barry doesn’t know if he’s done it right. At least Hal doesn’t ask any further questions.

As they empty their first cups of coffee, Barry asks Hal about his job, eager to learn more about the fact that this guy is a  _ pilot _ .  _ He _ may be able to run at the speed of light, but never would he put his own life into a plane that he’s flying  _ himself _ . 

He learns that Hal’s father has been a pilot himself and that he’s decided to follow his footsteps and applied for the U.S. Air Force. It’s later brought him back to Ferris Air, which he seems happy about. 

It’s fascinating to listen to Hal talk, to watch the excitement in his facial expressions and gestures. At one point he almost knocks over the barista who tries walking past their table. 

Barry doesn’t even feel awkward asking him for his number when he notices he’s got to head to his next lecture (he’ll already be late, probably) - if Hal defends a guy he’s never met with so much enthusiasm, he can barely imagine what it must be like to be friends with the guy.

He’s not even finished the question when Hal picks out a pen and starts writing down the digits on a napkin, handing it to him with a bright smile. “So, Barry, seeing as you’re practically  _ in love _ with our city’s hero, you’ll be coming back soon, will ya? If not for him, do it for me.”

Barry snorts at that - which he’s found himself doing quite a couple of times during their conversation - and replies, “Yeah, I’ll definitely come around for GL.”

Hal fakes an exaggerated shock moment at him before he starts snickering. “Well, you better get going for real now, huh? The university’s pretty much on the other end of the city.”

“Oh, right.”, Barry says and shakes Hal’s hand again, “Well, I’m sure we’ll run into one another.”

And then he’s hurrying (at human speed, of course) towards the next tram. 

  
Hal looks after him with a smile, playing with the green ring on his right hand while doing so. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a comment and kudos! Also, you can reblog it [here](http://joanthangroff.tumblr.com/post/151157267248/what-if-we-were-demigods)!


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